On The Runway

Jordan Luck sings while models sashay past in fashion label Hart clothes. Picture / Martin Sykes

Luck of the draw for rocker

Jordan Luck, that stalwart of Kiwi rock, turned out for another tour of duty yesterday, playing at the Hart show. His rousing version of Why does love do this to me? put the crowd in feel-good mode. He even improvised a line "I love the clothes so", before skipping down the runway surrounded by models.

A high-five from real-life models Jayne Kiely and fellow TV presenter Hilary Timmins underlined that Hart's Vamp and VSSP labels are for ordinary women. We predict bubble skirts are coming to a mall near you soon from one of New Zealand's most successful fashion businesses. Designer Susie Hart joined them on the runway for a warm round of applause at the end of the show.

After the after-parties

If a show on the hour, every hour for 10 hours isn't enough for fashion fans, then there's always the after-parties. Last night, it was Kate Sylvester at Britomart and Huffer at Rising Sun on K Rd, Wednesday night was the real long haul. First to Trelise Cooper's posh do at the Auckland Art Gallery, where the first food since breakfast was on the menu for many. A younger crowd headed up to Hopetoun Alpha to see Dimmer play at Little Brother's event, but the stayers then went to the Pony Club under Showgirls to see an off-schedule show by Miss Crabb.

For those wondering where some of the international guests were during the day, they were obviously pacing themselves, with the crew from Nylon and Dazed and Confused magazines out with Auckland's young set.

Fashion graffiti

Sign in the rest rooms: Please ensure the toilets are clean after use. Dust the lines of cocaine. The sign disappeared and we didn't spot anything else either.

Turning Japanese

Three years after launching his Christchurch-based label, Takaaki Sakaguchi is set to take his Japanese homeland by storm. Flying to Kyoto next month, Sakaguchi will sign a contract with a major chain of department stores, who will introduce his winter range from March. Combining Sakaguchi's designs with traditional kimono fabric, the Japanese range will also be sold via the internet and through television shopping networks.

Sakaguchi was approached by the Japanese store three years ago but declined the offer as he did not feel prepared to launch so large a venture. "But I'm ready now," he said. "For New Zealand fashion to take on Japan is exciting."

He's not showing his dressy looks this year but is one of many trade exhibitors.

Identity crisis

One guest at Trelise Cooper's show rushed up to a curly-headed woman gushing "loved your show Trelise". Problem was she was speaking to Marissa Findlay, daughter of the house of Zambesi.

On the curvy side

The row about skinny models engulfing European fashion weeks at the moment is gaining little traction here. First Spain, then Italy and now London are in a lather about calls to ban models with a body mass index under 18. That translates as seriously skinny a la Posh Spice. The issue in Auckland - if there is one - is more whether a few of the models are a bit overweight.

Unforgiving cigarette pants and hemlines hiked up well above the knee do no favours to Kiwi thighs, even those of the genetically thoroughbred. The standard size model here is 8-10 and frightening thin models are seldom seen, with several designers refusing to employ one local lass who is too lean.

Several fashion editors have raised eyebrows about seeing more padding than ideal to streamline clothes. "They're a bit hefty," said one.